@sophiedennis
Adventures in Policy Land Sophie Dennisservice design and product strategy @sophiedennis
slides: slideshare.net/sophiedennis
@sophiedennis
Read all about it on my Week Notesmedium.com/sophiedennis
Blogtransformation.blog.nhs.uk
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Two “policy discoveries”
1. Support for pensioners on low incomes
2. How we assess whether people are eligible for health and disability benefits
@sophiedennis
WHAT WE DID WELL
Multidisciplinary, cross-dept team – diverse expertise, collaboration space
Policy as the product owner who defines value and outcomes
Continuous engagement with stakeholders and SMEs, open show ’n’ tells, no surprises
‘Voice of the user’ even if limited
Early exposure of delivery impact to policy, and vice versa
Pre-ministerial intent/vision – opportunity for user needs and delivery realities to meaningfully shape policy
WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER
Start small, grow when ready
Being agile, not doing AgileWe’re not shipping working software – be flexible, practices and metrics will change
Right mindset – uncertainty, complexity, high-level/strategic, flexible roles, problems not solutions
New roles, skills and training – discovery coach, facilitation, Digital Academy tailored to discovery, generative user research, service mapping
Find ways to work more in the openYou have to be able to talk to users to do user-centred policy design
@sophiedennis
userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2015/05/27/doing-user-research-in-the-discovery-phase
@sophiedennis
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works
@sophiedennis
diverg
e
Kick off
diverge
BETA
problem space solution space
discover define develop deliver
peak uncertainty
converge
diver
ge
converge
peak uncertainty
“agile
deliver
y”“Lean UX”
“desi
gn th
inking
”
ImplementExperiment
Wildly!Policy Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future Landscape
Current Landscape
Outputs &
Deliverables
DISCOVERY ALPHA
Map
ping
Visio
n
Stakeholder Interviews
Spark
What Could We Do?
What Should We Do?
@sophiedennis
diverg
e
Kick off
diverge
problem space
discover define
peak uncertainty
converge
“desi
gn th
inking
”
Policy Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future Landscape
Current Landscape
Outputs &
Deliverables
DISCOVERY
Map
ping
Visio
n
Stakeholder Interviews
Spark
1. Insight
2. Vision
3. Scoping
@sophiedennis
diverg
e
Kick off
diverge
problem space
discover define
peak uncertainty
converge
“desi
gn th
inking
”
Policy Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future Landscape
Current Landscape
Outputs &
Deliverables
DISCOVERY
Map
ping
Visio
n
Stakeholder Interviews
Spark
Defining the problem space
User needs
The organisation’s goals and objectives
Constraints
@sophiedennis
diverg
e
Kick off
diverge
problem space
discover define
peak uncertainty
converge
“desi
gn th
inking
”
Policy Intent
Desk Research
User Research
Future Landscape
Current Landscape
Outputs &
Deliverables
DISCOVERY
Map
ping
Visio
n
Stakeholder Interviews
Spark
1. Insight
2. Vision
3. Scoping
@sophiedennis
Insight
Scoping
Scoping
Vision
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works
Insight
Insight
Vision
VisionInsight
Insight
+
@sophiedennis
1. Someone to keep things moving along
2. People with real insight and experience
3. The people who will be delivering the solution
Sarah Prag, Discovering Discovery makeitquotidian.co.uk/2015/06/16/discovering-discovery
@sophiedennis
“Working software is the primary measure of progress”
The Agile Manifesto agilemanifesto.org/principles.html You’re n
ot
doing this sort
of “Agile”
@sophiedennis
“Your discovery should usually take between 4 and 8 weeks”
GOV.UK Service Manual gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works
@sophiedennis
“Your discovery should usually take between 4 and 8 weeks”
it depends GOV.UK Service Manual
gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works
@sophiedennis
gds.blog.gov.uk/2015/08/18/mapping-new-ideas-for-the-digital-justice-system-2
@sophiedennis
1. problem
2. opportunity/objective
3. situation/constraints/context
4. recommendation: Big Idea
5. recommendation: smaller ideas/releasing early value
6. design principles ? Alpha
@sophiedennis
Problem statement (What’s the problem?)
This should be made up of:
• the specific problem the team is addressing
• the result of the problem
• the change of situation which means the problem becomes a higher risk
• the risk that’s a result of the problem and change of situation
Melanie Cannon, Lead Content Designer, DWP Helping teams define their focus dwpdigital.blog.gov.uk/2017/02/28/helping-teams-define-their-focus
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Short form creative briefarticles.uie.com/short_form_creative_brief
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Design Principles cxpartners.co.uk/our-thinking/design-principles
@sophiedennis
Dan BrownDocumenting Design Discovery
medium.com/eightshapes-llc/documenting-design-discovery-db14da1b0627#.24ud09pj0
Discovery Alpha
@sophiedennis
Laws of the land
1. Acts of Parliament 2. Rules and regulations
Things Government has said it will do
1. Principles and priorities 2. Initiatives
The way things are done around here
1. Contractual obligations 2. Processes
What is the impact on users of how policy
is delivered?
CitizenUsers
PolicyService
Delivery
people who access and benefit from the policy or service
Intenta desired outcome for citizens or society
Policy Designthe detail of how it will be implemented
- legislation, regulations etc
Visiona Big Idea for how to achieve it
What services are provided to citizens? How are they delivered? By which organisations?
Does that have a positive or negative impact on whether
policy is effective?
Policy is intended to make an impact on citizens and society
Citizens experience policy through services
Policy is delivered through services
What is it supposed to do to address the needs of citizens or society?
Users’ experience of government services
affects the impact of policy
people • processes • tech • data • estates • budget
Get re-electedLook good in the papers
realm of actual Politics
! ! ! ! ! !
their support network
wider society
How effectively does it actually do that?
@sophiedennis
Policy
How do we reduce pressure on NHS services?
Who qualifies for a free flu jab on the NHS?
People who qualify for a free flu jab can get one at a high-
street pharmacy
Service design
Give certain groups of people free flu-jabs on the NHS
How do we increase take up?
What happens when someone goes for their flu jab at Boots?
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Business goals and objectives
How can we best meet the policy intent or deliver the vision?
@sophiedennis
Constraint
What policies govern our service?
What rules does it need to comply with?
How might policy prevent us delivering a good service to our users?
@sophiedennis
Constraint
Who qualifies for a free flu jab on the NHS?
What evidence do we need to claim back the cost from the NHS?
Who counts as “front-line staff” for meeting our 75% target?
@sophiedennis
The client asks you to design a business card You respond that the problem is really the client’s logo
The client asks you to design a logo You say the problem is the entire identity system
The client asks you to design the identity You say that the problem is the client’s business plan Michael Beirut, ‘You’re So Intelligent’, Design Observer, 9 May 2007 designobserver.com/feature/youre-so-intelligent/5917/
@sophiedennis
The problem isn’t making something look pretty, you fool, it’s world hunger!
Michael Beirut, ‘You’re So Intelligent’, Design Observer, 9 May 2007 designobserver.com/feature/youre-so-intelligent/5917/
@sophiedennis
What are you doing? Making it easier to book an appointment for a flu jab
Why?So more people get their flu jabs
Why?So fewer people end up in hospital with severe, life-threatening flu
Why?To reduce pressure on the health service Why?
ONLY WE CAN SAVE THE NHS!
@sophiedennis
“the nature of these challenges are emblematic of deeply entrenched flaws in our institutional structures, our underlying theories, definitions of success, and ultimately how we have constructed our civilization.”
Christian Bason The frontiers of design for policy
@sophiedennis
these challenges are emblematic of deeply entrenched flaws in our institutional structures, our underlying theories, definitions of success, and ultimately how we have constructed our civilization.”
Christian Bason The frontiers of design for policy
@sophiedennis
“I’ve spent hours at that table,” she whispered to me. “It’s not that great, you know.”
Michael Beirut, ‘You’re So Intelligent’, Design Observer, 9 May 2007 designobserver.com/feature/youre-so-intelligent/5917/
@sophiedennisWe’re h
iring!
jobs.nhs.uk
Adventures in Policy Land Sophie Dennisservice design and product strategy @sophiedennis
slides: slideshare.net/sophiedennis